SEATTLE--June 1, 2000--Leading online retailer Amazon.com (www.amazon.com) today announced the addition of Handspring(TM) Visor(TM) handheld computers to its ever growing electronics selection.
Handspring appointed Amazon.com Electronics as the exclusive online reseller for its Visor and Visor Deluxe handheld computers for 60 days. Amazon.com will also be offering a variety of Springboard(TM) expansion modules and accessories to help customers make the most of their Visors.
Visor runs on the Palm operating system (OS), making it compatible with thousands of existing Palm applications. In addition, only the with thousands of existing Palm applications. In addition, only the Handspring line of handheld computers has the flexibility of the built-in Springboard expansion slot for adding exciting new functions.
"Our customers count on us to have the latest and greatest electronics products," noted Carl Gish, general manager of the Amazon.com Electronics store. "With the addition of Handspring Visor products, we now have another great line of handheld computers that run all popular Palm applications, while adding the flexibility of easy expansion. Visor handheld computers and all the related accessories are sure bets to be hot gift items this Father's Day."
Amazon.com's Visor product offerings include the graphite-colored 2 MB Visor for $179 and the 8 MB Visor Deluxe version, which comes in five colors, for $249. Customers will also be able to find Springboard expansion modules for Visor, including an 8 MB Flash memory module, a modem, the EA Sports(TM) Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2000 golf game and a Backup module. Additional expansion modules allowing Visor to function as GPS receivers, universal remotes and more are expected in the future.
"Amazon.com clearly has what Handspring is looking for in an online retail partner. In addition to working with one of the most recognized brands in online retail, this relationship gives Visor great visibility among the loyal base of over 20 million customers that shop at Amazon.com," said Greg Woock, vice president of North American sales for Handspring. "With the company's fast delivery, in-depth online information and great customer service, Amazon.com is an ideal partner to help us continue to make Visor one of the best-selling products in the industry."
Handspring Visor: The Next Step in Handheld Computing
The Handspring Visor is an advanced handheld computer, using the renowned Palm OS for the ultimate in flexibility and convenience. A variety of new features -- including an advanced date book, a world clock and an advanced calculator -- make the Visor's organizational capabilities superior to any other handheld product on the market. Because the Visor uses the Palm OS, users may download any of the thousands of existing Palm-compatible applications. Additionally, the Visor's USB connection makes synchronizing to a Mac or PC fast and easy.
Springboard Expansion Slot Makes Visor Infinitely Expandable
The Handspring Visor is further distinguished among handheld computers because of its extraordinary capability for expansion. Using Handspring's patented external Springboard expansion slot, customers will be able to add software and hardware modules that are still under development -- such as an MP3 player, pager, modem, GPS receiver or video game module -- in a snap.
What makes Visor's Springboard slot even more outstanding is its instant plug-and-play capability. There are no software drivers to install or special adapters needed. Both the Visor and Visor Deluxe come fully loaded with Palm OS software version 3.1 and can be instantly expanded with the snap of a Springboard module.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com (Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries) is the Internet's No. 1 music, No. 1 DVD and video, and No. 1 book retailer. Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection, along with online auctions and free electronic greeting cards. Amazon.com lists more than 18 million unique items in categories including books, CDs, toys, electronics, videos, DVDs, tools and hardware, lawn and patio items, kitchen products, software, and video games. Through Amazon.com zShops, any business or individual can sell virtually anything to Amazon.com's more than 20 million customers, and with Amazon.com Payments, any seller can accept credit card transactions, avoiding the hassles of offline payments. The company also participates in sothebys.amazon.com, the leading auction site for guaranteed art, jewelry, and collectibles, at www.sothebys.amazon.com.
Amazon.com seeks to be the world's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they may want to buy online. Amazon.com's All Product Search scours the Web to help customers find merchandise that is not available at Amazon.com, Amazon.com Auctions, or Amazon.com zShops, making Amazon.com the shopping destination to find anything. Amazon Anywhere is the leader in mobile e-commerce, providing access from anywhere in the world to Amazon.com on personal digital assistants (PDAs) and through handheld wireless Internet devices that use HDML or the Wireless Application Protocol.
Amazon.com operates two international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk and www.amazon.de. It also operates the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com), the Web's comprehensive and authoritative source of information on more than 220,000 movies and entertainment programs and 800,000 cast and crew members dating from the birth of film in 1892 to 2003.
Amazon.com has invested in leading Internet retailers that are improving the lives of customers by making shopping easier and more convenient: Greenlight.com, the only company that offers car buyers the control of auto purchasing online with ongoing service and support from local dealerships, at www.greenlight.com; living.com, the leading online home products and services retailer, at www.living.com; drugstore.com, an online retail and information source for health, beauty, wellness, personal care and pharmacy, at www.drugstore.com; Pets.com, the online leader for pet products, expert information, and services, at www.pets.com; HomeGrocer.com, the first fully integrated Internet grocery-shopping and home-delivery service -- with operations in Seattle; Portland, Oregon; and Southern California -- at www.homegrocer.com; Gear.com, which offers brand-name sporting goods at prices from 20 to 90 percent off retail, at www.gear.com; Ashford.com, the leading Internet retailer of luxury and premium products and the Web's No. 1 retailer of watches and jewelry, at www.ashford.com; Audible, Inc., the leader in Internet-delivered spoken audio for PC-based listening or playback on AudibleReady portable digital audio devices, at www.audible.com; eZiba.com, a leading online retailer of handcrafted products from around the world, at www.eziba.com; and WineShopper.com, the San Francisco- and Napa-based Internet start-up that will ultimately offer consumers online access to the largest selection of wines available anywhere, at www.wineshopper.com.
Amazon.com also has a minority interest in Della.com, which brings together leading retailers with gift registry, expert advice, and personalized gift suggestions to help everyone give better gifts, at www.della.com; NextCard, Inc., considered the industry's leading issuer of consumer credit on the Internet, at www.nextcard.com; and Kozmo.com, the world's leading "e-mmediate" Internet-to-door delivery service, at www.kozmo.com.
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, Amazon.com's limited operating history, anticipated losses, significant amount of indebtedness, unpredictability of future revenues, potential fluctuations in quarterly operating results, seasonality, consumer trends, competition, risk of distribution center expansion, risks related to fourth quarter performance, risks of system interruption, management of potential growth, inventory risks, risks related to auction and zShops services, risks related to fraud and Amazon.com Payments, and risks of new business areas, international expansion, business combinations, and strategic alliances. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999, and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2000.